Friendly
by tbrown92
Summary: Takes place after the Chunin Exams in the Village Hidden in the Sand. Just a One shot for now. Gaara, OC
1. Chapter 1

She couldn't sleep for the life of her. It's been two days since Gaara and his siblings returned from the leaf village Chunin Exams. From what Naomi heard, Gaara OR his siblings weren't in very well condition. His siblings are still being held in the medical ward due to injuries. Even Gaara was injured but he healed in a matter of twenty-four hours. Suppose she was a little worried. She hasn't spoken to Gaara since that incident. She didn't like to think about it. Not at all. Though it still haunts her.

"_Naomi, Just GO AWAY!" Gaara yelled viciously at her before hiding his face in his hands. She had climbed up to the top of the building where he usually is at night. He was crying and his forehead was bleeding pretty badly._

"_But Gaara, You're hurt.." Naomi said completely concerned until she looked down and saw a giant dent in the rooftop at his feet. He growled loudly and looked at her with these wicked, hunger-filled eyes that she had never seen before. She didn't think that kind of look was possible for Gaara. He was always so kind. Did he just..?_

"_Why won't you listen to me?! I said GO AWAY! NOW! Before... Before... I do it again. Just... GO!"_

_With that last word, a ton of sand started barreling toward her at such a speed, Her eyes grew wide in fear. She was petrified on the spot until the sand forced her several feet backwards and off the building, sending her plummeting towards the hard ground below._

Naomi jerked up, startled. Apparently, she had dozed off. It was still completely dark out. Her heart pounded against her ribcage at the terror she had just endured. She sobbed emptily for a second before turning her attention to her window. No matter how much that last experience frightened her, She was still adamant on keeping Gaara close even if he isn't close at all. She has always secretly kept tabs on him from a distance, just to make sure he is somewhat okay.

Naomi got up from bed and pulled on some clothes before sneaking out her window, into the night. She walked up the road, unsure of what she is doing. It seemed so weird seeing the sand village at night. She usually never goes out at night at all unless it was required for a mission or something of the sort. The village seems so empty and silent, minus the sound of small clouds of sand passing past her feet. The sky was entirely clear. You could see a vast, endless amount of stars. She switched out hopping/skipping from just walking since she felt rather energetic. Until she passed by that one building. The tallest building in the village. She felt herself falling down from the rooftop as she stared at it. Then she took a deep breath and shook herself out of it before making the decision to face her fear of the building, she jumped and ran up the wall of said building and steadied herself on the border of the roof. Until she felt a chill up her back and she sensed the presence of another person. She hastily hid herself in the shadows since she had a very good idea as to who it was. Who else would be here at this time of night.

A few minutes passed until she heard a monotonous voice say, "You should stop hiding, I heard you coming a mile away." Naomi caught her breath in her throat before feeling that fear rise up again. She stayed silent as she felt her legs lock up on her, cementing her to the ground. "Or you can just stay there all night.. Suit yourself."

She had two choices. Stay there in fear, or confront the person she is both afraid and in awe of.

Gaara, of The Sand.


	2. Chapter 2

Naomi tipped her head to the right side and cracked her neck before taking a step out into the open, her heart threatening to burst out of her ribcage out of fear. She closed her eyes and saw the rush of sand coming towards her before opening her eyes and seeing the bright, spiky, mess of auburn hair and emotionless pale green eyes peering into her soul for a second before he turned his attention into the distance in front of him. He said nothing. She narrowed her eyes at him before slowly taking a cautious step towards him.

"What do you want?" He spoke. She didn't know the answer to that simple question. She gulped at a dry lump in her throat. She opened her mouth and no voice came to her. "You are frightened. You should get out of here." Instinctively, she took a few steps back before falling on her butt. He looked over at her once again and Naomi felt her face heat up in embarrassment. "What do you want?" He repeated. Naomi got to her feet and sat on the edge of the nearest wall about fifteen meters away from Gaara.

"I could not sleep so I took a walk and ended up here." She said quietly. "Aren't you going to put up your sand or something?" She wanted to disappear right after she said that. Gaara looked down at the ground and said nothing for a minute or so.

"No."

"Okay." Naomi responded numbly before looking the opposite way, down at the smaller buildings and houses. She could see the park in the distance and just beyond that, her training area. She first met Gaara at the park. They were about six years old. The day of his mental breakdown. He's been untouchable since.

"Why couldn't you sleep?" Gaara suddenly asked. She looked at him and he was facing the town, his back to her, he hasn't moved a centimeter since she came out of the shadows.

Naomi shrugged, "Nightmare." She stated.

"Nightmare.." He repeated.

"Yeah.. but I don't sleep well anyway so it's kind of.. normal for me."

"Why?" He asked. She glanced his way and he had his eyes fixated on her. She felt her face heat up once more under that intense gaze. It was a curious gaze. She was reminded of Gaara when they met. Curious. Isolated. Longing for any kind of positive human interaction.

"I'm not sure.." She said suddenly not wanting to hurt his feelings. He said nothing but he slowly stood up and walked towards her and sat a few feet away from her. Naomi felt her body tense up but she didn't move. He hasn't been this close to her since that day.

"I remember you.." He said slowly. "Your eyes aren't like the others.. Everyone looks at me with hate.. You look at me with kindness, warmth.. Even after that night.. You sometimes follow me.. Why?"

"Um... I don't know.. Maybe because I worry about you. I wanna make sure your okay.." Naomi said quietly, playing with her shoulder-length hair. "You're still my friend.. I want to make sure you're okay. I know you don't like other people, I make sure I'm distant. I'm not stalking you or ...anything.. creepy."

"Friend?" Gaara asked with slightly wider eyes, She nodded. "Naruto is like me.. but he made friends even when he has a demon inside.. Even when everyone hates him... He never lost himself in the pain of being hated and alone... He has friends... He protects them out of his love for others.. He didn't love only himself like I do.. Or did..." Naomi raised an eyebrow at Gaara. This is the most he has said in a long time, but who is this 'Naruto' guy.. "I would like friends.. I don't want to be feared by allies and comrades.. I would like to protect people dear to me.."

Naomi was speechless, She has never heard such positive things come from Gaara before.

"I apologize about what I did to you.. You almost died because of me.. You were my only friend and I almost killed you.."

"Gaara.." Naomi said feeling shocked. He looked at her with sadness and regret looming in his eyes. It seemed foreign to her. "It wasn't your fault... It's not your fault... You were trying to protect me, Gaara.." She said quietly, His eyes grew wide before he looked up at the crystal clear sky. He has changed dramatically since his return.


	3. Chapter 3

_Little Naomi Takano was spending her afternoon at the park today after her mother taught her how to move things without touching them. She called it using your chakra. She was busy pushing little blades of grass across the sand using her chakra until she got sand kicked into her face by a bully who was about two years older then her._

"_Hey! Mishaku! That wasn't nice!" Naomi yelled as she got up and quickly brushed the sand off of her face and shirt. Good thing none of it went in her eyes. Mishaku and two of his friends laughed at her before pushing her down on her butt. "Ow!" She yelped before sending a heavy glare his way, He just smirked at her evilly._

"_So little sand rat, got any money? I know you do."She glared at him before leaning back and kicking him in the shin with all her might. He yelped in pain and grasped his leg. She took this opportunity to get up and run before the other two came after her. She ran towards the swing set where a red haired boy was sitting alone quietly. He watched her run past him and looked at the pair of boys chasing her. She fell face down at the edge of the park. He quickly got up and stood in between her and the boys._

"_You're not being nice. Why?" He demanded quietly. Naomi sat up and looked at the boy in front of her._

"_It's him.." One boy whispered._

"_Let's get out of here before.. you know.." The other said before backing away and running off with the other following closely behind. The boy looked over his shoulder and gave her a small smile. Naomi froze for a second before rushing to her feet._

"_Are you.. okay?" He asked turning around towards her, Naomi nodded quickly. He looked down and his face grew sad. "Oh no.."_

"_Huh?" She asked and followed his gaze. Her knee was bleeding a little. "Oh, I'm fine..It's just a small cut. It doesn't even hurt."_

"_It.. Doesn't hurt..?" He asked with concern. She just shook her head. "But your bleeding.."_

"_Right. That happens when the skin is cut." Naomi said with a shrug and remembered who she talking to. She looked at him and felt a little fearful. She heard the rumors, but rumors aren't always true, right? He grasped the stuffed bear he was holding a little tighter. He looked at her face and she attempted a smile. "Thank you for what you did.. I'm.. My name is Naomi Takano.."_

_His eyes grew even wider, if that was possible. He smiled a little and gulped._

"_Naomi.." He repeated to himself as if he was testing out the name."I'm Gaara. You... You're not running away...People always run away.."_

"_I guess I'm not like everyone, Gaara." She said with a small giggle, Gaara smiled at her. "Do you want to play?"_

"_Yes!" Gaara said cheerfully._

"_Do you know how to hopscotch?" She asked since the hopscotch outline was far away from the bullies who were glaring at her from a distance. Gaara looked at it and shook his head. "I can teach you if you want."_

_Gaara nodded speechlessly. So she taught him how to toss the pebble. How to hop in the squares. How you hop over the square with the pebble in it and picking it up on your way back to the beginning. Once Gaara got the hang of it, They played until dark. It was so much fun! They made plans to meet up on the tallest building after dinner... Apparently after she left, His day got flipped around somehow because when she got to the building Gaara had sand swirling around him like mad waves with kunai knives around him. She did notice a huge bomb-like sound coming from the distance on the way there but she didn't think it came from here. She noticed smoke coming from the concerete rooftop, it had a huge circular dent on it. He was crying and grasping his head which was bleeding pretty badly, Naomi was concerned. He didn't notice her there until she gasped at the sight. Gaara faced her with wide eyes before releasing a painful scream which startled her a lot but she took a step closer to him._

"_Leave.. Naomi.." Gaara growled._

"_You're bleeding." Naomi said quietly._

"_Go Away!" Gaara strained as he grasped his ears. "Go AWAY!" Naomi just took another step towards him and he put his hand out at her to stop her from coming any closer. "Naomi, Just GO AWAY!" Gaara yelled viciously at her before hiding his face in his hands. _

"_But Gaara, You're hurt.." Naomi said completely concerned until she looked down at the giant dent in the cement at his feet. He growled loudly and looked at her with these wicked, hunger-filled eyes that she had never seen before. She didn't think that kind of look was possible for Gaara. He was so kind. Did he just..?_

"_Why won't you listen to me?! I said GO AWAY! NOW! Before... Before... Just... GO!"_

_With that last word, a ton of sand started barreling toward her at such a speed, Her eyes grew wide in fear. She was petrified on the spot until the sand forced her several feet backwards and off the building, sending her plummeting towards the hard ground below._

She was knocked unconscious and was put in the medical ward for several days but she survived the fall. But ever since then, she was haunted by the event and she kept tabs on Gaara from a distance. For this long it seemed funny. Pointless. But it was a habit she couldn't break. She thought about him almost everyday.

"Do you want me to be your friend, Gaara?" She asked after sitting in silence for about an hour. For the first time in a long time, He smiled. It was a very faint smile but it was a smile nonetheless.

"Yes." He said quietly. A breeze blew calmly across them.


End file.
